2003 Mitsubishi Montero Limited Sport Utility 4-door 3.8l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Even Ferrari swept up in latest Takata recall expansion

The scope of Takata's deadly airbag problems continues to widen. Eight manufacturers announced recalls Friday that affect more than 12 million vehicles, according to documents filed with federal regulators. The automakers include Honda, which is recalling 4.5 million units, Fiat Chrysler with 4.3 million, Toyota with 1.65 million, and Subaru, which is recalling almost 400,000. Some of these cars include the Saab 9-2x and Pontiac Vibe that Toyota and Subaru made for General Motors. Mazda will recall 730,000 vehicles and Nissan has 400,000 affected units. The smallest numbers were posted by Mitsubishi, with 38,000 Lancers manufactured from 2006 to 2007, and as a noteworthy high-end manufacturer, Ferrari is calling back 2,800 vehicles. These are all US-market cars. Beyond America, the Japanese Transport Ministry has announced seven million additional vehicles will be recalled, which means 19.6 million vehicles across the globe are affected by recalls announced. The defects have been traced to an insufficiently manufactured airbag inflator, which lacks a drying agent that would prevent the inflators from deteriorating over time. Thirteen deaths have been linked to the faulty airbags, which have become unstable and are prone to exploding and showering vehicle occupants with lethal amounts of metal shrapnel. A private equity firm, KKR & Co., has been named in a possible buyout of the struggling Takata. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Recalls Ferrari Honda Mazda Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Pontiac Subaru Toyota Saab Safety

Mitsubishi showing off 473-hp Lancer Evo X Concept Final at Tokyo Auto Salon

We know from the head of Mitsubishi USA that the special edition Lancer Evo X coming next June will be a five-speed GSR model with more horsepower, a tweaked suspension and some additional fancy "bits and pieces." We didn't expect to be this, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Final Concept with an ECU tune and new HKS turbo making its 2.0-liter engine good for 473 horsepower. That's 183 more ponies than the stock model. Based on a five-speed GSR, on top of that power boost it gets larger intakes and intercoolers, an upgraded cooling system and exhaust, an adjustable suspension from HKS and 19-inch Rays forged wheels. The finish is a mix of matte and gloss black, and chrome trim. Actually, we still don't expect the special edition we'll get to mimic the Evo X Final Concept; rather, we think this black beauty is a full-fat showcase for the Tokyo Auto Salon, where the Evo X Final Concept will be shown. It's a tantalizing could-have-been, and now that we've seen what Mitsu can do with the Lancer Evo when it cares just a little, we hope our that end-of-series special isn't too disappointing by comparison.

NHTSA begins inquiry into Mitsubishi fuel economy

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to make sure Mitsubishi doesn't falsify fuel economy ratings in the US like the company does in Japan. "We've requested information from Mitsubishi about this issue," a NHTSA spokesperson told Reuters. The person didn't provide details about the specific models the regulator wanted to know more about. At this time, there's no evidence of fuel economy inaccuracies for any North American models. The affected vehicles in Japan so far are 625,000 small kei-class cars, including the Mitsubishi eK, eK Space, Nissan Dayz, and Dayz Roox, which Mitsu produces for Nissan. However, Japanese regulators are taking a closer look at other models and gave the company a week to hand over test data. A newspaper there claims Mitsubishi allegedly used "non-Japanese test methodology" on the RVR, Outlander, Pajero, and Minicab MiEV. NHTSA's look into Mitsubishi comes at the same time the Department of Justice is scrutinizing Daimler for possible emissions anomalies. "Daimler will consequently investigate possible indications of irregularities and of course take all necessary action," the German automaker said in a statement. The company asserts the DOJ's inquiry is unrelated to a lawsuit from owners, which alleges the BlueTec emissions control system is designed to turn off at low temperatures. Related Video: